The Crown

Twenty-one floors above the Bowery, two open-air terraces bookend an indoor lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows and corner couches. A DJ works hip-hop over the sound system in a room that tips clubby, bouncer included. Most of downtown's low-rises give way to midtown's towers from the main balcony, while the east side frames the Manhattan Bridge's stone arch and colonnade instead of the usual skyline shot. The space breaks into configurable sections, so a two-top and a birthday party of shifting size can both be seated the same night.